Fresh-look Thrashers play first home game of preseason

Hockey returns to Philips Arena Wednesday night, and a lot has changed in the 179 days since the Thrashers last skated in front of their fans.

So much has changed, in fact, that even the insiders have trouble keeping track. Hence the “Zach Bagosian” sticks supplied to household-name-to-be Zach Bogosian, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 draft.

Eight of the 30 players remaining on the Thrashers’ roster have been added to the organization since the end of the 2007-08 season. The latest addition, defenseman Mathieu Schneider, arrived in town Saturday. Behind the bench you’ll find three men promoted from the minor leagues, coach John Anderson and assistants Todd Nelson and Randy Cunneyworth.

All that newness means there’s plenty to look for Wednesday night when the Thrashers play an exhibition against the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. It also means what you’ll see from the home team is even more of a work in progress than you’d expect at this time of year.

“Everybody’s trying to get used to the different systems, and everybody’s trying to get on the same page,” said Jason Williams, the free-agent right wing who played for the Chicago Blackhawks last season. “Once you get used to playing with certain guys and get familiar with the systems and everything, things will get better.”

Anderson had hoped the transition would be faster. He adjusted by adding more video sessions to help the players learn what he wants them to do and where he wants them to be. Each exhibition becomes a source of new video, some for the how-to part of the DVD and some for the how-not-to part.

The roster Anderson chose for the exhibition home opener is much different from the ones he used in the three road exhibition games, only one of which the Thrashers won. All but two or three of the players in action Wednesday night are likely to be with the team in the regular season. The key players missing are Slava Kozlov, held out for precautionary reasons following offseason shoulder surgery; Eric Perrin, who got banged up in Sunday’s exhibition; Schneider, who has been through only two practices with the Thrashers; and Todd White.

What Anderson sees in games tonight, Friday and Saturday will help him decide the seven or eight players he needs to cut before the regular season begins Oct. 10. He expects to open the season with 22 men, one below the NHL maximum.

“You’re slowly getting more and more comfortable and understanding what we’re trying to do here,” said center Marty Reasoner, a free-agent acquisition from Edmonton. “It’s a challenge to see where you’re going to fit and how you can help. It’s going to be exciting going forward.”

Thrashers cut three

The Thrashers sent forwards Jordan LaVallee, Junior Lessard and Joe Motzko to Chicago of the American Hockey League.